Legal Operations Specialist

Valar Atomics is a nuclear energy company focused on scaling high-temperature gas reactors (HTGRs) for grid-independent industrial applications. The company is developing what it calls gigasites, large-scale facilities housing hundreds of nuclear reactors intended to power heavy industry, data centers, hydrogen production, and clean hydrocarbon fuel synthesis. Their reactor design uses TRISO fuel, a graphite moderator, and helium coolant, a combination the company highlights for its strong safety profile and proliferation resistance. By operating outside the traditional electricity grid, Valar Atomics aims to unlock economies of scale that have historically eluded the nuclear industry. Valar Atomics' mission centers on making nuclear energy the cheapest and most reliable energy source in the world, with a particular emphasis on decarbonizing industrial processes and enabling clean fuel production. Their hydrogen output, generated via a sulfur-iodine thermochemical cycle, can be combined with captured CO2 to produce synthetic hydrocarbons through a modified Fischer-Tropsch process, offering a pathway to drop-in clean fuels. The company also targets the surging power demands of AI data centers, which are projected to require over 200 additional terawatt-hours of grid power by 2030. The company is currently advancing its Ward 250 project, a test reactor being developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the San Rafael Energy Research Center, and the State of Utah, with a target go-live date of July 4, 2026, America's 250th birthday. The reactor has already been physically transported to Emery County, Utah, with logistical support from the U.S. military. Four executive orders issued under the Trump administration provided a mandate supporting the project's accelerated deployment timeline.

About Valar Atomics

At Valar Atomics, we're redefining what's possible in energy. Our mission is to make clean, high-temperature nuclear power scalable—unlocking abundant energy for industry, hydrogen, and next-generation manufacturing. We are a team of builders, engineers, and operators who believe nuclear energy should be fast to deploy, factory-made, and built for the real world. Our first pilot plant in Orangeville, Utah will demonstrate how advanced nuclear systems and fuel fabrication can power the future. Joining Valar Atomics means becoming part of a company where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level.

The Team 

As part of the Business organization, Legal provides strategic legal guidance that enables innovation while protecting the company's interests. The team manages contracts, corporate governance, intellectual property, regulatory matters, and legal risk across the organization. 

About The Role 

Valar Atomics is looking for a Legal Operations Specialist to help build the operational backbone of our legal function as we scale. This role will own critical legal operations workstreams - from cap table management and entity governance to contract systems, insurance, and vendor coordination - allowing our legal team to move fast without sacrificing rigor. You will work closely with our General Counsel and cross-functionally with Finance, HR, and business teams, with significant ownership over the systems and processes that keep our legal function running smoothly. This is an opportunity to build legal operations infrastructure from the ground up at a fast-growing, hard-tech company. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Manage and maintain the company's capitalization table, including tracking equity issuances, option grants, exercises, terminations, and vesting schedules (e.g., in Pulley or Carta) 
• Draft, review, and manage non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and other routine commercial and vendor agreements 
• Own entity management and corporate housekeeping for the company and its subsidiaries, including formation, foreign qualification, dissolution, and annual/biennial compliance filings 
• Manage the company's corporate insurance programs (e.g., D&O, general liability, property, cyber), including renewals, certificates of insurance, and broker relationships 
• Lead the onboarding, implementation, and ongoing administration of a contract lifecycle management system (CMS/CLM), including workflow design and user training 
• Build, maintain, and iterate on legal playbooks, templates, and standard operating procedures to support scalable self-service across the business 
• Track corporate compliance calendars and regulatory filing deadlines, including support for export control processes as needed (e.g., ITAR, EAR, DOE Part 810) 
• Assist with board and stockholder matters, including preparing consents, resolutions, and meeting materials 
• Identify opportunities to improve legal operations processes and systems as the company scales 

Basic Qualifications 

• At least 4 years of experience in legal operations, corporate paralegal work, or a similar role 
• Hands-on experience managing a capitalization table using a platform such as Carta or Pulley 
• Experience drafting and managing NDAs and other routine commercial agreements 
• Experience with entity management and corporate housekeeping across multiple jurisdictions 
• Experience managing corporate insurance programs and policy renewals 
• Experience implementing, administering, or supporting a contract management system (CMS/CLM) 
• Strong organizational skills, high attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously 
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership in a fast-paced, high-growth environment 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

Preferred Skills and Experience 

• Prior experience at a BigLaw firm 
• Prior in-house experience in a fast-paced startup environment 
• Exposure to startups in hard tech sectors (e.g., hardware, energy, aerospace, defense, or deep tech) 
• Familiarity with export control regimes relevant to advanced technology companies (e.g., ITAR, EAR, DOE Part 810) 
• Experience building or improving legal operations processes and systems from scratch 

What We Offer  

• Competitive base salary 
• Equity ownership in a rapidly growing advanced energy company 
• Comprehensive medical benefits 
• Unlimited PTO
• Free daily lunch and dinner provided onsite 
• Generous PPE stipend
• High-impact startup environment with significant ownership and autonomy 
• Opportunities for rapid career growth and internal advancement 
• Direct collaboration with experienced operators, engineers, and industry leaders 
• The opportunity to help build and scale transformative energy technology from the ground up

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Valar Atomics is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment and will provide reasonable accommodation as required by law.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder).